Don’t Wander Away from The Father

Jeremiah 3:12 (NLT)
“Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the Lord says: “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever.”

As children of our great and wonderful God, we are blessed with the opportunity to establish a relationship with Him during our time on earth. Much like nature, life brings us through various seasons—some filled with jubilation and others marked by wilderness experiences of adversity and challenge. It’s during these toughest seasons, when we feel depleted and overwhelmed, that many of us contemplate abandoning our faith and turning away from God. However, this should never be a decision we make, no matter how difficult the struggles may seem.

Life’s challenges were never hidden from us by our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Luke 14:27-28(NLT), he taught, “27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. 28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost.” Life is indeed a race, and everything has a cost. In other words, life demands a price. When we pray for blessings, we often fail to consider the responsibility they entail. They will pull on us to keep pace, and without actively pursuing God’s Word and growing in Christ as He commands, we might find ourselves struggling to keep up.

When this is the case, we should never back out of the race, but do as the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:14(NLT), and “press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Our Heavenly Father is a Rewarder. He tells us this in Hebrews 11:6, and He promises to reward our diligent pursuit of Him and His purpose for our lives. Many of us feel that we know what is best, and this is one of the reasons that tribulations and troubles hit us so hard. The truth is that we will never know as well as God what is best for us. We must trust in His plan and never stray from Him, even in the face of hardship.

In Jeremiah 3:12, God diagnoses the faithlessness of His people, who began to flee from Him due to the hardships they faced. However, with the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are now filled with his strength and power through the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, we are more than able to carry our own cross and persevere until the end of the race. God requires us to trust Him through our difficult times, knowing that He will lead us through to victory, regardless of what we may face.

While none of us are immune to life’s difficulties, taking a break from our relationship with God is never the solution. Jesus Christ reassures us in John 16:33 (NLT), “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” The Lord never abandons us in our struggles; He remains faithful and offers us His strength and guidance. Therefore, we should lean on Him wholeheartedly, trusting that He is faithful to help and will lead us safely through life’s toughest challenges. ■

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